| 19You must consecrate every firstborn male that is born of your herd or flock to God, your God. You must not work the field with the firstborn of your work-bull. You must not shear the firstborn of your flock. |
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יטכָּל־הַבְּכ֡וֹר אֲשֶׁר֩ יִוָּלֵ֨ד בִּבְקָֽרְךָ֤ וּבְצֹֽאנְךָ֙ הַזָּכָ֔ר תַּקְדִּ֖ישׁ לַֽיהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ לֹ֤א תַֽעֲבֹד֙ בִּבְכֹ֣ר שׁוֹרֶ֔ךָ וְלֹ֥א תָגֹ֖ז בְּכ֥וֹר צֹאנֶֽךָ: |
| כָּל־הַבְּכוֹר תַּקְדִּישׁ - You must consecrate every firstborn - but elsewhere it says: “no man may consecrate a firstborn animal,” as it is written, “no man may consecrate a firstborn animal.” How is this reconciled? That verse means that he may not consecrate it as any other sacrifice, and here it teaches us that although it is sanctified at birth, there is an obligation to say: “You are sanctified as a firstborn!” Another explanation: You cannot say: “consecrate it,” for it already states: “do not consecrate”; and you cannot say: “do not consecrate it,” for it already states: “consecrate.” How is this reconciled? You can consecrate it by consecrating its value, i.e., donating to the Temple Treasury the value of the gratification it brings you. |
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כָּל־הַבְּכוֹר תַּקְדִּישׁ.
וּבְמָקוֹם אַחֵר (ויקרא כ"ז) הוּא אוֹמֵר "לֹא יַקְדִּישׁ אִישׁ אֹתוֹ", הָא כֵיצַד? אֵינוֹ מַקְדִּישׁוֹ לְקָרְבָּן אַחֵר; וְכָאן לִמֵּד שֶׁמִּצְוָה לוֹמַר הֲרֵי אַתָּה קָדוֹשׁ לִבְכוֹרָה. דָּבָר אַחֵר — אִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר "תַּקְדִּישׁ", שֶׁכְּבָר נֶאֱמַר "לֹא יַקְדִּישׁ", וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר "לֹא יַקְדִּישׁ", שֶׁהֲרֵי כְבָר נֶאֱמַר "תַּקְדִּישׁ", הָא כֵיצַד? מַקְדִּישׁוֹ אַתָּה הֶקְדֵּשׁ עִלּוּי וְנוֹתֵן לַהֶקְדֵּשׁ כְּפִי טוֹבַת הֲנָאָה שֶׁבּוֹ (ערכין כ"ט):
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| לֹא תַֽעֲבֹד בבכור שׁוֹרֶךָ וְלֹא תָגֹז וגו' - You must not work with the firstborn of your work-bull; you must not shear. Our sages learned that the reverse – to shear a firstborn work-bull or work with a firstborn sheep – is also forbidden, but Scripture speaks of common practices. |
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לֹא תַֽעֲבֹד בבכור שׁוֹרֶךָ וְלֹא תָגֹז וגו'.
אַף הַחִלּוּף לָמְדוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁאָסוּר, אֶלָּא שֶׁדִּבֵּר הַכָּתוּב בַּהוֹוֶה (בכורות כ"ה):
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| 20You must eat it before God, your God, within the place that God will choose—you and your household—year by year. |
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כלִפְנֵי֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֤יךָ תֹֽאכְלֶ֨נּוּ֙ שָׁנָ֣ה בְשָׁנָ֔ה בַּמָּק֖וֹם אֲשֶׁר־יִבְחַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֑ה אַתָּ֖ה וּבֵיתֶֽךָ: |
| לִפְנֵי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ תֹֽאכְלֶנּוּ - You must eat it before God, your God. This is addressed to the priest, for we already know that the firstborn, whether perfect or blemished, is one of the priestly entitlements, as it says: “Their flesh will be yours….” |
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לִפְנֵי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ תֹֽאכְלֶנּוּ.
לַכֹּהֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר, שֶׁכְּבָר מָצִינוּ שֶׁהוּא מִמַּתְּנוֹת כְּהֻנָּה אֶחָד תָּם וְאֶחָד בַּעַל מוּם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר י"ח) וּבְשָׂרָם יִהְיֶה לָּךְ וְגוֹ' (בכ' כ"ח):
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| שָׁנָה בְשָׁנָה - Year by year. From here we learn that we do not delay its offering longer than the end of its first year. I might then think that it becomes disqualified for sacrifice once its first year has passed. This cannot be, for it has already been compared to the second tithe, as it says: “You must eat the tithe of your grain, wine, and oil, as well as the firstborn of your cattle and of your flocks, before God, your God.” Just as the second tithe does not become unfit if left from one year to the next, so, too, a firstborn does not become unfit. However, it should optimally be eaten within its first year. |
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שָׁנָה בְשָׁנָה.
מִכָּאן שֶׁאֵין מַשְׁהִין אוֹתוֹ יוֹתֵר עַל שְׁנָתוֹ; יָכוֹל יְהֵא פָּסוּל מִשֶּׁעָבְרָה שְׁנָתוֹ, כְּבָר הֻקַּשׁ לְמַעֲשֵׂר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים י"ד) וְאָכַלְתָּ לִפְנֵי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ מַעְשַׂר דְּגָנְךָ תִּירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ וּבְכֹרֹת בְּקָרְךָ וְצֹאנֶךָ, מַה מַּעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי אֵינוֹ נִפְסָל מִשָּׁנָה לַחֲבֶרְתָּהּ אַף בְּכוֹר אֵינוֹ נִפְסָל, אֶלָּא שֶׁמִּצְוָה תּוֹךְ שְׁנָתוֹ (בכ' כ"ז):
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| שָׁנָה בְשָׁנָה - (lit.) A year in a year - i.e., if one slaughtered it at the end of its first year, he may eat it that day and one day of the next year. We thus learn that a firstborn sacrifice may be eaten during the two days and one intervening night after it is slaughtered. |
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שָׁנָה בְשָׁנָה.
אִם שְׁחָטוֹ בְּסוֹף שְׁנָתוֹ אוֹכְלוֹ אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם וְיוֹם אֶחָד מִשָּׁנָה אַחֶרֶת, לִמֵּד שֶׁנֶּאֱכָל לִשְׁנֵי יָמִים וְלַיְלָה אֶחָד (שם):
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| 21If it be blemished—whether it be lame, blind, or suffering from any bad blemish—you must not sacrifice it to God, your God. |
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כאוְכִי־יִֽהְיֶ֨ה ב֜וֹ מ֗וּם פִּסֵּ֨חַ֙ א֣וֹ עִוֵּ֔ר כֹּ֖ל מ֣וּם רָ֑ע לֹ֣א תִזְבָּחֶ֔נּוּ לַֽיהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ: |
| מוּם - A blemish - is a general statement; |
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מוּם.
כְּלָל:
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| פִּסֵּחַ אוֹ עִוֵּר - lame or blind. is a qualification;. |
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פִּסֵּחַ אוֹ עִוֵּר.
פְּרָט:
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| כֹּל מוּם רָע - any bad blemish. is again a general statement. Just as the qualification specifies a blemish that is exposed and does not regenerate, so, too, are included all blemishes that are exposed and do not regenerate. |
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כֹּל מוּם רָע.
חָזַר וְכָלַל — מַה הַפְּרָט מְפֹרָשׁ מוּם הַגָּלוּי וְאֵינוֹ חוֹזֵר, אַף כָּל מוּם שֶׁבַּגָּלוּי וְאֵינוֹ חוֹזֵר (שם ל"ז):
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| 22You may eat it in your cities, the ritually defiled people and the ritually undefiled people together, just like gazelle and deer. |
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כבבִּשְׁעָרֶ֖יךָ תֹּֽאכְלֶ֑נּוּ הַטָּמֵ֤א וְהַטָּהוֹר֙ יַחְדָּ֔ו כַּצְּבִ֖י וְכָֽאַיָּֽל: |
| 23However, you must not consume its blood; you must spill it onto the ground like water. |
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כגרַ֥ק אֶת־דָּמ֖וֹ לֹ֣א תֹאכֵ֑ל עַל־הָאָ֥רֶץ תִּשְׁפְּכֶ֖נּוּ כַּמָּֽיִם: |
| רַק אֶת־דָּמוֹ לֹא תֹאכֵל - However, you may not consume its blood. This prohibition is repeated so that you not say: Since this entire blemished firstborn animal is permitted although it is of a forbidden category – for despite being consecrated, it may be slaughtered and eaten outside the Temple without being redeemed – I might think that its blood also becomes permitted. Scripture therefore states: “However, you may not consume its blood.” |
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רַק אֶת־דָּמוֹ לֹא תֹאכֵל.
שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר הוֹאִיל וְכֻלּוֹ הֶתֵּר הַבָּא מִכְּלַל אִסּוּר הוּא, שֶׁהֲרֵי קָדוֹשׁ וְנִשְׁחָט בַּחוּץ בְּלֹא פִדְיוֹן וְנֶאֱכָל, יָכוֹל יְהֵא אַף הַדָּם מֻתָּר, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר רק את דמו לא תאכל:
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